Science/Nature

[ad_1] Image copyright NASA/JPL/JHUAPL/MSSS/BROWN UNIVERSITY Image caption Jezero Crater shows strong evidence from orbit of past water activity The American space agency (Nasa) says it will send its 2020 Mars rover to a location known as Jezero Crater. Nasa believes the rocks in this nearly 50km-wide bowl could conceivably hold a record of ancient life on the planet. Satellite images of Jezero point to river water having once cut through

[ad_1] Image copyright AIRBUS Image caption The BBC World Service and World News Channel go out over the Hotbirds at 13E British industry is going to build two new spacecraft for the big Paris-based telecoms operator Eutelsat. Airbus will be the manufacturer, which will be supplying its new "all electric" Eurostar Neo model. Developed in a European Space Agency R&D programme, Neo promises a faster build with a 30% reduction

[ad_1] Image copyright WFN Image caption Farwiza Farhan: Fighting to save Sumatra's biodiversity There is only one place in the world where orangutan, rhinos, elephants and tigers still co-exist in the wild. Environmental activist Farwiza Farhan is fighting to protect this last wilderness, Sumatra's Leuser Ecosystem. In 2012, her NGO, Yayasan HAkA, sued an oil palm company that had cleared forest under an illegally issued permit. She says she is

[ad_1] Image copyright SPL Image caption The master kilogram, sealed in a jar and stored in a safe in Paris, no longer weighs the same as this "exact" copy - which researchers say is "not scientifically acceptable" Scientists are set to change the way the kilogramme is defined. Currently, it is defined by the weight of a platinum-based ingot called "Le Grand K" which is locked away in a safe

[ad_1] Image copyright Getty Images Rising numbers of extreme wildfires could result in a significant increase in CO₂ emissions, scientists warn.That could mean attaining the Paris climate agreement's goal of keeping global temperature rise well below 2C could become harder, they say. Present emission-cut pledges by countries are projected to increase the average global temperature rise by more than 3C by the end of the century.That would lead to dangerous

[ad_1] Image copyright NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF DENMARK Image caption Space view: The semi-circular margin of the ice sheet traces the outline of the crater What looks to be a large impact crater has been identified beneath the Greenland ice sheet. The 31km-wide depression came to light when scientists examined radar images of the island's bedrock. Investigations suggest the feature was probably dug out by a 1.5km-wide iron asteroid sometime

[ad_1] Image copyright ESO/M. Kornmesser Image caption Artwork: Barnard's Star b is thought to be quite cold Astronomers have discovered a planet around one of the closest stars to our Sun.Nearby planets like this are likely to be prime targets in the search for signatures of life, using the next generation of telescopes.The planet's mass is thought to be more than three times that of our own, placing it in

[ad_1] Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Mountain gorilla: From critically endangered to endangered Conservation efforts appear to be paying off for some of the world's most charismatic animals, according to new assessments for the extinction Red List.Prospects look better for the mountain gorilla, after years of conservation measures, including anti-poaching and veterinary patrols.And numbers of two large whales are recovering, following hunting bans.However, other flora and fauna is declining.Species

[ad_1] Image copyright TOM JORDAN Image caption The British Antarctic Survey flew one of its planes back and forth across the pole A "hotspot" is melting the base of the Antarctic Ice Sheet at the South Pole. The area affected is three times that of Greater London. Scientists suspect a combination of unusually radioactive rocks and geothermal springs may be responsible. The warm bedrock is removing some 6mm a year

[ad_1] Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Beetles represent the largest insect group Heatwaves can damage the sperm of insects and make them almost sterile, according to new research.Scientists exposed beetles to experimental heatwaves in the laboratory, which resulted in reduced male fertility.The effects could be passed down to the beetles' offspring.Further work could shed light on whether climate change is a factor behind mass declines in insect populations, say